Improvement in nozzles for hose-pipes



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ALBERT E. ALLEN,

OF `PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN NOZZLES FOR HOSE-PIPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 89.456. dated April 27,1F69.

proved hose-pipe nozzle. Fig. 2 is the conical ring b', forming part ofthe adjustable plug or valve B, hereinafter mentioned, for forming aspray stream.77 Fig. 3 is an end view of the same. Fig. 4 is theremovable tip or nozzle piece, from which the body stream issues.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in all the gures. l

The object in view in my invention is the construction of a hose-pipenozzle, which will issue, beside the usual body stream, awidelyspreading spray stream of greater or less volunie, or the bodystream alone, at the will of the person having charge of the hose-pipe,for

the purposes hereinafter mentioned in connection with iire-extinguishingapparatus; and my said invention consists in constructing the nozzlewith an inverted conical plug or valve fitting closely in the end of thehose-pipe, and made adjustable therewith by means of a screw collar andthread, or other suitable device, which will lift the said plug or valvefrom its seat at the end of the hose-pipe, and permit the escape of thewater in an annular sheet, which is so deflected by the conical sides ofthe plug as to form an unbroken conical sheet of spray, which may beused with advantage to distribute water over a large surface, and forexpelling smoke from a room or apartment 011 fire.

My invention also consists in forming the said valve with a hole ororifice through its center for the escape of an ordinary body stream, tobe used for general purposes separately, and, if required, with theaddition of the spray `stream described, at will.

My invention also consists in constructing thesaid plug or valve with aremovable center-piece, which may be either solid, to stop the centralorifice from which the body stream issues, or that may be formed withthe said central orifice, so that plugs-with differentsized orifices maybe employed and readily interchanged to obtain a larger or smaller bodystream.

To' enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention,I willproceed to describe the same.

In the drawings, A A is the nozzle-piece, which is usually screwed onthe end of the hose-pipe. B is the conical plug or valve, the sides ofwhich fit with a water-tight groundjoint into the end of the saidnozzle-piece, which has a corresponding angular valve-seat, at the pointindicated by the red lines in Fig. l, to fit it. This valve or plug isconnected by rods fr 1', &c., to a collar, D, which screws upon thescrew-threads m on the outside of said nozzle-piece A, and said threadsm, I prefer to be double threads to obtain greater pitch of thread,whereby the valve is opened or shut more readily and quickly by only aslight turn of the collar. The plug extends a short distance within theend of the nozzle-piece A, and cheeks the How of water around the insideof the nozzle-piece, so that the smaller stream or body-jwhich issuesfrom the central orifice in the said plug or valve passes through. asurrounding body of water, and is thus relieved of the friction againstthe pipe, which has the effect to project the stream to a greaterdistance from the nozzle. I prefer, also, to make the orifice of thecentral stream tapering-say about one`sixteenth (Tl) of an inch from therear to the outletT-which has the effect to slightly condense the bodyof water and render it more dense and unbroken, although if said orificeis made straight, as shown in Figs. l`and 4 of the drawings, it willwork well. I also make the edge e of the `outlet a projecting edge orlip, whereby the stream4 or jet of water is delivered freely and withoutinterruption, the surrounding surface of the said valve or plug Bserving to protect this sharp edge from injury by contact with anysurrounding object. The said valve or plug I propose to make in twopieces, an outside conical ring, b', Fig. 2, and an inside plug, Fig. 4,fitting nicely into it, which plug has a surface which unites with theouter surface of the conical ring and forms one unbroken conicalsurface, and making the center of the said plug, Fig. 4, either solid,to stop the flow of water through it, so it may only issue at the rearand around the plug B in the form of spray, or to form said plug, Fig.4, with a central orifice, and have a numy ber of such plugs Withdifferent sizes of orlces, which plugs may be carried by the personhaving charge of the pipe, and by him inserted in place to furnishreadily the size of stream required for the particular occasion orexegency as it may arise.

By means of the peculiar spray steam which projects from the annularopening around the Valve, as shown in blue lines in Fig. l, a cur rentof air wis formed of sufficient force to expel the smoke almost entirelyfrom the room when there is a smouldering fire, sufficiently so, it hasbeen ascertained, `for firemen to enter Without being incommoded by thepresence of smoke, and by it the Water is more generally distributed andin better formand greater volume than by any means hitherto employed tomy knowledge. By means of the said valve I am also enabled to relievethe pressure upon the hose, when only the Water is escaping from thecentral orifice, by opening the valve, and in that way I am enabled tomake a signal through the column of nf'ater in the line of hose leadingto the 'fire-engine, which will be understood by the engineer as anorderto stop or reduce the speed of his apparatus, as may be required,in accordance with the method suggested in my Letters Patent for anescapevalve coupling granted to me, said ALLEN, on the 3d day ofSeptember, A. D. 1867'.

Having thus described my invention, Whatl claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. The combination of the nozzle of a hosepipe and an adjustable valve,B, constructed and arranged to operate in connection, substantially asdescribed.

2. The said valve, as arranged, with a central orifice for a body streamto be operated, substantially as specified.

3. The said valve, as-arranged, constructed in two parts, so that theorifice in its center maybe stopped or readily fitted for delivering asmaller or larger diameter of stream, subtanti ally as described.

GEO. XV. CADY, Isaac A. BROWNELL.

